Catching Fire Refresher: Everything You Need to Know Before You Reunite With Katniss This Weekend

It's been a year since I watched The Hunger Games and two years since I read Catching Fire. All I remember at this point was that Fire, the book, was great—and that I liked Games, the movie, but it made me a little motion-sick. So in the interest of getting all of us back up to speed and in tip-top arena shape, I put together a little pre-weekend prep sheet for us.

Now, remind me how the movie ended? With a lot of looking. Following their dramatic victory (they threatened to kill themselves via Nightlock and were hastily declared co-winners of the Games), Katniss and Peeta are held up and celebrated. But it’s not all party-party; Snow notices Katniss’s Mockingjay pin, and we see his wheels start to turn. Meanwhile, on the train back to District 12, Katniss makes a comment about trying to forget the arena, and Peeta gives her a soulful gaze and says he doesn’t want to forget. We get it, P. Back in 12, Katniss sights her mom, Prim and Gale, whom she’s in the process of lavishing with a bittersweet love-look when Peeta pissily grabs her hand. The film closes on a final shot of President Snow, watching the whole scene on Capitol closed-circuit cam and pondering his next move.

It’s been so long since I read Catching Fire. Where do we pick up? Katniss, Peeta, and Haymitch are safely ensconced in the Victor’s Village—Katniss's family is comfortable, finally. Katniss still sneaks out to go hunting and visit her old house. When she gets back to the Village one day, Snow is waiting for her. What ensues is basically the Hunger Games version of a Real Housewives confrontation. Snow is like, I’m onto you. You basically planted the seed of an uprising, and you don’t love Peeta. But you betta love Peeta, and convince everyone including me that you do on tour, or I’m gonna kill Gale. Before he leaves, he whispers in her ear, “I know about the kiss.” The kiss, of course, is the one Gale and Katniss shared in the woods during a post-victory hunting sesh—and Katniss realizes she can never have a romance with Gale as long as the Capitol is in control. Katniss and Peeta head out on their whirlwind victors’ tour, and sure enough, a display of solidarity in Rue’s District 11 leads to an execution and minor riot. Katniss sees that the tone of uprising is real. Things start to get jumpy—more uprisings crop up. I forgot, until I looked back at the book, that we don’t get to the real rub on the Quarter Quell until 172 pages in.

Meaning That’s when they announce that the Quarter Quell (the 75th Games) will draw its competitors from existing victors. As Katniss is the only female victor ever from 12, she’s definitely going back in.

So how will this movie be different? For starters, we have a different director. Gary Ross directed the first movie; I Am Legend’s Francis Lawrence helmed the second. According to Slate, the main difference you’ll notice here is no more shaky Blair Witch action-cam—think still, full shots and more emotional cinematography. Also, from the clips I’ve seen, it seems the absurdist fashion component will be giddily multiplied by about a million. So excited. And don’t forget; the water aspect of the Quarter Quell means much of the movie was shot in Hawaii. So expect totally switched-up scenery.

Who's new to the cast of Fire? We’ve got Jena Malone as Johanna, Sam Claflin as Finnick (check out our Q+A with them here), Jeffrey Wright as Beetee, and (most exciting, in my opinion, since he’ll be a huge part of the rest of the franchise) Philip Seymour Hoffman as gamemaker Plutarch Heavensbee (remember, Crane was executed after sentimentally allowing Katniss and Peeta to share the win).

Is this longer or shorter than the first one? Longer, but by a mere four minutes. In any case, make sure your soda’s a small one—Catching Fire’s running time is two hours 26 minutes.

Speaking of time, if I’m seeing the movie at 9:30 tonight, do I have time to read the book? Totally, if you leave work right now. You won’t be able to put it down—it’s my favorite in the trilogy, and I’m far from alone in that opinion.